So…. here we finally are on the cusp of February and the Denver Nuggets after 16 games without the best player in the NBA, or the world for that matter, have Nikola Jokic back one game early prior to Sunday’s showdown/statement game in Denver.
There will be four of these matchups between now and the end of the regular season.
Besides the hopeless over the top beyond homery coverage the Thunder put forth in their own market, this is why I created and stick with okcthunderground.com. Plus…I have fun.
Because at the core of my basketball soul these are the times I crave as an avid fan of competitive sport…especially basketball.
What is even more intriguing for me given these times of the pussified NBA which Adam Silver has created…is that the Thunder in going 8-6 in their last fourteen games have allowed the Detroit Pistons to crawl ONE GAME back of the Thunder in the loss column for that ultimate prize the Thunder and Sam Presti know they very much need once the NBA Playoffs begin.
That one thing is home court throughout the entire NBA Playoffs as they had last season in their championship run. The Thunder desperately needed Game 7 at home versus the Nuggets last season even with Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr playing crippled at the end. The Thunder also needed home court in Game 7 versus the prohibitive underdog Indiana Pacers. In addition it turned out the Thunder needed Tyrese Haliburton to go down with a game ending Achilles injury as well.
So…. here we finally are, the beginning of the real NBA season given how the Thunder have shown the rest of the league they have some blemishes. If there weren’t blemishes… then why in the world would NBA reporter Brian Windhorst be reporting there’s talk the Thunder might want to shop Isaiah Hartenstein at the trade deadline?
We’ll just have to see how that one unfolds, that’s not my deal. MJ isn’t an NBA gossip writer. God put me here on this blog specifically because he couldn’t take anymore of LNG, Michael Cage, and Matt Pinto. Even God rolls his eyes at times and says …”Enough”. So this is divine basketball intervention in a matter of speaking.
But I will write this…Paris Dawson is gold on my blog. She’s the only one of Sam Presti’s chirpers I actually enjoy listening to. Just saying.
So…Nikola returned Friday night for a home game win over the Clippers. Kawhi and Harden both played. The Nuggets won the game by a score of 122-109. Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun, and Cameron Johnson were DNPs or inactive if you will.
Nikola played a mere 24:32 and dusted off his game day sneakers with a causual 31, 12 double/double. My NBA Player of the Month, Peyton Watson, played 35:18 in another big game performance himself. Jamal, who much more than Chet deserves to be in the All-Star Game, had 20 points and 9 assists. Jamal is playing the best basketball of his life. Even better than in 2023 when the Nuggets won the NBA championship.
If the Nuggets win Sunday…Mike J will be wearing the powder blue Jamal jersey Monday at the Wellness Center workout.
Of note heading into Sunday’s game in Denver, Aaron Gordon’s hamstring will have him out at least another four weeks. I hate this for Aaron because in these past two seasons he’s ascended to All-Star caliber himself. Losing Aaron in the playoffs would be a massive thing in considering who comes out of the West. So he needs to get healthy.
Cam Johnson and Christian Braun are both nice players, but not like Aaron. The evolutions of Peyton Watson, Spencer Jones, and even Jalen Pickett to a lesser degree in my mind can be handled if it comes to that.
Tim Hardaway, in reality has turned out to be a much more impactful addition compared to what Cam Johnson has contributed to date. I’m a big Christian Braun fan. As an OU fan, I watched him intently when he was a Kansas Jayhawk. But like Aaron…he needs to get healthy for the real season looming ahead.
Of note heading into Sunday’s game, Jonas Valanciunas logged 21:28 minutes of playing time versus the Clippers in logging an 11 point, 6 rebound game.
Of another note…Julian Strawther played as well logging a heavy for him 16:34 off David Adelman’s bench. I find this curious because Julian had the most impactful game of his NBA Career to date when he played a significant role in Denver’s Game 6 win with 15 second half points. Given how poorly OKC defended the arc versus the Timberwolves this is something I’m underlining in my pre-game notes for Sunday.
You won’t get much of what I just gave you compared to Sam Presti’s three prodical chirpers. Take that as you might.
Can’t wait for the game on Sunday. Finally…an NBA season. Keep an eye and an ear on Brian Windhorst coming into the trade deadline.
Mike J